A persistent and widespread drought is currently wreaking havoc across 60% of the Spanish countryside, sounding alarm bells for an imminent threat of crop failures. The adverse conditions, intensified by three years of minimal rainfall and soaring temperatures, have led to what the country’s weather agency officially categorizes as a long-term drought.
In a grim prognosis, over 3.5 million hectares of crops face “irreversible losses,” with wheat and barley crops expected to fail entirely in four critical regions. The report from the main Spanish farmers’ association highlights that some cereals must be written off, particularly in prime growing areas such as Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha, Extremadura, and Murcia. Additionally, the driest regions of three other areas are also at significant risk.
Nuts and vineyards are grappling with the adverse conditions, and olives face a bleak outlook unless rainfall occurs in the next few weeks, the report emphasizes. The scarcity of water is further impeding farmers’ ability to irrigate crops such as corn, sunflowers, rice, and cotton, likely resulting in reduced sowing during the upcoming summer season.
The challenging situation extends beyond crop failures, as ranchers are anticipated to struggle in providing adequate feed for cattle due to dried-up pastures. The farmers’ association has also issued a stark warning that beekeepers will endure a third consecutive season without honey, as bees are deprived of essential vegetation and flowers in the mountains, owing to the acute water shortage. Last year marked Spain’s sixth driest, and the hottest since meteorological records began in 1961, exacerbating the impact of the prolonged drought on the nation’s agricultural landscape.
